Stamping-machine.



H. J. GRANT.

STAMPING MACHINE. AiILIOATION FILED IEB.10, 1913 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

H. J. GRANT.

STAMPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED rmmo, 191a.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

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COLUMMA ILANOCIRAPII CLL, WASHINGTON. 0. C4

HENRY J. GRANT, OF VALDOSTA, GEORGIA.

STAMPING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

Application filed February 10, 1913. Serial No. 747,438.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ilmzny J. GRANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Valdosta, in the county of Lowndes and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamping-Hachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for affixing stamps to envelops and the like, in which the stamps are fed from a roll, pressed down on a previously moistened portion of the envelop, and severed from the roll.

The invention has for its object to provide an easily operated machine of this kind, together with novel and improved means for feeding and severing the stamps.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved moistening device.

With these and other objects in view as will appear when the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in a combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that the invention may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a Vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is an end view.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the frame of the machine comprises a top 10, sides 11, and front and rear walls 12 and 13, respectively. From the top rises a rigid yoke 14 through which passes a stem 15 having its upper end fitted with a handle 16, said stem being slidable in the direction of its length and passing through an opening in the top 10, between which latter and an abutment 17 on the stem, a spring 18 is coiled around the latter, said spring opposing the downward movement of the stem and serving to elevate the same upon its release after having been lowered. The stem 15 operates the feed and cutting devices to be presently described.

The strip 19 of stamps is wound on a roll 20 and supported on a shaft 21 carried by a pair of laterally spaced bracket-arms 22 mounted on the yoke 14. The shaft seats in slots 23 made in the top of the bracketarms so that said shaft may be readily positioned between the bracket-arms with the strip of stamps wound thereon, and also removed for a new roll of stamps.

In order to separate the strip 24 of oiled paper from the stamps, there is provided a finger 25 which extends transversely of the roll 20 between the strip of stamps and the strip 24. The linger is at the extremity of an arm 26 extending from a horizontal rockshaft 27 mounted in a suitable bearing 28 on top of the yoke 14. The arm swings in a vertical plane when the shaft 27 is rocked, and the finger 25 is spring-pressed against the roll by means of a coiled spring 29 connectcd to the rock-shaft. When a roll is being placed in position between the bracket-arms 22, the arm 20 will be swung upward out of the way, and then lowered to position the finger 25 between the stamp and oiled paper strips.

Between the side walls 11 are located two feed rollers 30 and 31, respectively. These rollers are preferably of rubber and they are set close together so that the strip of stamps extending therebetween may be fed when the rollers are rotated. The shaft 32 of the roller 30 is carried by the side walls 11, and said walls also support the shaft 33 of the roller 31.

The shaft 33 projects from the side walls 11, and one of its projecting ends has a finger-piece 34 for turning it when adjusting the stamp strip 19 between the rollers 30 and 31. On the other end of the shaft 33 is fast a ratchet wheel 35 engageable by a spring-pressed dog 36 pivoted at 37 to a lever 38 fulcrumed on the shaft 33. To a lug 39 on the inner side of the wall 12, is pivoted, as indicated at 40, a fork 41 which is adapted to swing in a vertical plane, and straddles a transverse rod 42 carried by the lower end of the stem 15. One end of the rod is connected, by means of a link 43, to the lever 38. Through the connections herein described, the roller 31 is actuated to feed the stamp strip 19.

In order to prevent the roller 31 from slipping back, there is provided a double pawl, the two pawl members being indicated at 44 and 45, respectively. These pawls are pivoted to the side wall 11, and they are spring-pressed and engage both sides of a tooth of the ratchet wheel 35, so that the roller 31 is normally locked against rotation in both directions. The pawl 44 is automatically disengaged by means of a pin 46 carried by the lever 38. This pin strikes the pawl at the end of the downward swing of the lever 38 and disengages the same, and at the same time, the dog 36 takes hold of one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 35, so that when the pressure of the handle 16 is released, and the stem 15 is pushed upward by the spring 18, the roller 31 is actuated to feed the strip 19. The pawls then engage the next tooth of the ratchet disk and again lock the roller. By this mechanism the feed of the stamp strip is accurate and reliable, and the strip is fed forward a distance corresponding to the length of a stamp at every stroke of the handle 16. The pawl 44 has a stem 44 whereby it may be actuated independent of the herein described devices.

On the wall 13, adjacent to an opening therein, is mounted a transverse rod 47 over which the strip 19 passes to the feed rollers 30 and 31, the strip passing through the opening and thence to the feed rollers.

The walls 12 and 13 are formed with a bottom enlargement 48 which extends between the side walls 11 and forms the bottom of the frame of the machine. In this bottom is a transverse slot 49 through which the strip 19 passes after it leaves the feed rollers 30 and 31. On one side of the slot, the under side of the bottom 48 is faced with a rubber cushion 50, and on the other side of the slot, the bottom is inclined as indicated at 51, which incline extends close to the sides of the feed rollers from which the strip emerges, and. serves to guide the strip to the slot. Opposite the incline is a transverse bar 52 under which the strip passes. The inner surface of that portion of the bottom 48 which carries the cushion 50 is inclined, as indicated at 53, said incline terminating at the slot 49. On this incline is mounted a slidable cutter 54 for severing the stamps from the strip 19, said incline having an undercut guide groove 55 in which the cutter works. The cutter has a shank 56 which is connected by a link 57 to the fork 41. When the stem 15 is pushed. down to operate the feed rollers as hereinbefore described, the cutter 54, through its connection with the fork 41, is pushed down the incline 53 to one edge of the slot 49 and severs a stamp from the strip.

The moistening device comprises the following parts: To the side walls 11, at the bottom thereof is pivoted to swing in a vertical plane, a yoke 58, the cross-bar of which carries a wiper 60. One of the yokebranches has an extension 61 to which is connected one end of a coiled spring 62, the other end of which is anchored to the wall 13. This spring serves to swing the yoke downward away from the bottom of the machine, this being the normal position of the yoke. The wall 12 carries a reservoir 63 containing a supply of water for moistening the wiper 60. In the bottom of the reservoir is an outlet 64, beneath which is located a pad 65 held in place by a plate 66 carried by said reservoir bottom. The pad 65 is in the path of the wiper 60 and is engaged by the latter at the end of its upward swing. The outlet 64 is controlled by a plug valve 66 carried by a stem 67 which passes through a screw cap 68 closing the reservoir. On the outside of the reservoir, the valve stem has a downward extension 69 which is connected to one end of a lever 7 0 pivoted intermediate its ends at 71 to one edge of the wall 12, and having its other end in the path of the rod 42. hen the stem 15 is pushed downward, the rod 42 strikes the lever and actuates the stem 67 to open the valve 66, whereupon the water flows from the reservoir 63 into the pad 65. The outlet 64 is small, so that a small quantity of water is admitted to the pad at each stroke of the stem 15, thereby keeping the pad moist. To the lever 70 is connected a restoring spring 72. To the side walls 11 is secured a yoke-shaped spring 73 which extends along opposite sides of the cushion 50 and has its free end normally projecting below the bottom thereof.

The operation of the machine may be summarized as follows: The envelop to which a stamp is to be aflixed is placed on a table or other support, and the machine is held by means of the handle 16 in the posi' tion shown in Fig. 1, above the envelop, and positioned so that the wiper 60 is in contact with that portion of the envelop to which the stamp is to be aflixed. The machine is now lowered, whereupon the yoke 58 is swung upward, and the wiper 60 travels across the envelop and moistens the same. A continued downward pressure on the handle 16, after the spring 7 3 comes in contact with the support, carries the stem 15 downward and operates the cutter to sever the stamp from the strip 19, said stamp extending from the slot 49, and being pressed down on the moistened portion of the envelop by the cushion 50 at the end of the down stroke. The machine is pressed down with sufficient force to flex the spring 73 upward and bring the cushion 50 against the stamp. Upon releasing the downward pressure, the spring 7 3 raises the machine sufficiently to disengage the cushion from the stamp, and the envelop may now be removed. when the downward pressure is released, the stem 15 slides upward and retracts the cutter, and at the same time actuates the feed rollers to advance the strip 1%) a sufficient distance to project the next stamp from the slot 4-5) in position to be affixed to the next envelop. At the end of the upward stroke, the wiper (30 comes in contact with the pad and is moistened, and upon lifting the machine, the yoke 58 swings away from the bottom of the machine and restores the Wiper to its normal position ready for the next operation.

I claim:

1. In a stamp aflixer, a frame, stamp feeding and severing means carried thereby, and a moistening wiper pivoted to the frame to swing in a vertical plane, said wiper being located beneath the frame.

2. In a stamp affixer, a frame, stamp feeding and severing means carried thereby, a moistening wiper pivoted to the frame and swinging upward when pressed against the partto be moistened, and a spring for swinging the wiper downward when released.

I11 a stamp aftixer, a frame, stamp feed ing and severing means carried thereby, a moistening wiper pivoted to the frame to swing in a vertical plane, said wiper being located beneath the frame, and a moistening pad in the path of the wiper and engageable thereby.

4. In a stamp affixer, a frame, stamp feeding and severing means carried thereby, a moistening wiper pivoted to the frame to swing in a vertical plane, said Wiper being located beneath the frame, a moistening pad in the path of the wiper and engageable thereby, a reservoir having an outlet to the pad, and a valve controlling the outlet.

5. In a stamp aflixer, a frame, stamp feeding and severing means carried thereby, a moistening wiper pivoted to the frame to swing in a vertical plane, said wiper being located beneath the frame, a moistening pad in the path of the wiper and engageable thereby, a reservoir having an outlet to the pad, a valve controlling the outlet, actuating means for the stamp feeding and severing means, and an operative connection between said actuating means and the valve.

6. In a stamp atlixer, a frame, stamp feed ing and severing means, actuating means for said means, a pivoted moistening wiper carried by the frame, a moistening pad in the path of the Wiper and engageable thereby, a reservoir having an outlet to the pad, a valve controlling the outlet, and an operative connection between the valve and the aforesaid actuating means.

7. In a stamp aftixer, a frame, stamp feeding and severing means, actuating means for said means, a pivoted moistening wiper carried by the frame, a moisten'ing pad in the path of the wiper and engageable thereby, a reservoir having an outlet to the pad, a valve controlling the outlet, a stem on the 'alve, said stem extending from the reservoir, a lever connected at one of its ends to the projecting portion of the valve stem, and a projecting part on the aforesaid actuating means into the path of which the other end of the lever extends.

S. In a stamp allixer, a frame having on its bottom a stamp-affixing pad, stamp feeding and severing means carried by the frame, and a resilient spacing member beneath the bottom of the frame.

9. In a stamp atfixer, a frame havin on its bottom a stampaitixing pad, stamp feeding and severing means carried by the frame, a resilient yoke extending from the frame at the bottom thereof along the sides of the pad and having its free end spaced from the bottom of the frame.

10. In a stamp ailixer, a frame having a slotted bottom, feed rollers on one side of the bottom slot, a stamp aflixing pad on the bottom of the frame at the other side of the slot, and a cutter for severing the stamps.

11. In a stamp actlixer, a f 'ame having a slotted bottom, feed rollers on one side of the bottom slot, a stamp aflixer pad on the bottom of the frame at the other side of the slot, a cutter for severing the stamps, means for operating the feed rollers, and an operative connection between said means and the cutter.

12. In a stamp a'fiixer, a pair of feed rollers, a ratchet-wheel on the shaft of one of said rollers, a lever fulcrumed on said shaft, a pivoted dog carried by the lever and en gageable with the ratchet-wheel, a reciprocatory stem, a link connection between said stem and the lever, pawls engageable with the ratchet-wheel for locking the shaft against turning in both directions, and means carried by the aforesaid lever for disengaging one of said pawls.

13. In a stamp aflixer, a pair of feed rollers, a ratchet-wheel on the shaft of one of said rollers, means for operating the ratchetwheel to rotate the shaft, pawls engageable with the ratchet-wheel for locking the shaft against turning in both directions, and means carried by the aforesaid ratchetoperating means for disengaging one of said pawls.

14. In a stamp aflixer, a frame, stamp feeding rollers carried thereby, a stamp outter, a reciprocatory stem, a cross-rod carried by said stem, an operative connection be tween the cross-rod and the feeding rollers, a fork pivoted to the frame and straddling the rod, and a connection between the fork and the cutter.

Ward he support of the part to be moistened, stamp cutting and feeding means carried by the frame, actuating means for said cutting and feeding means, a handle for carrying the frame, said handle being movable, and connections between the handle 10 and the aforesald actuating means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY J. GRANT.

Witnesses T. N. I-IOLCOMBE, C. H. FRETWELL.

Copiee of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latente, Washington, D. G. 

